


Blueberries

by Mary Reed (Mary_Reed)



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast), The Adventure Zone: Balance - Fandom
Genre: And for like everything revealed in ep 59 before Stolen Century, F/M, Gen, I finished TAZ Balance three weeks ago and I am still in hell, M/M, Spoilers past Story and Song, Taako and making bad choices is the real OTP, This is a serial thing for now, Who Knows?, but maybe I'll just put TAZ drabble here?, not i
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-08-26 12:49:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16681912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mary_Reed/pseuds/Mary%20Reed
Summary: The gang tries to have a family dinner post-Story and Song.It goes about as well as you'd think.Featuring a very confused Kravitz, Lup and Magnus both rushing in, Ango being the best, and that classic Adventure Zone mixture of humor and angst.





	Blueberries

 

_** The Twins ** _

 

In the giant kitchen of Merle’s beach house, Taako froze.

 

He had a handful of blueberries, crushed insides dripping sluggishly to the floor as he stared at an empty bowl. 

He had been planning to make blueberry scones for Mookie’s birthday (with a signature Taako flourish, of course), using only the freshest ingredients harvested from Merle’s garden. The cleric’s fruit patch alone took up a third of the sprawling estate, and Taako had spent the morning picking blueberries and stealing eggs from the chickens with Angus. 

Angus had wanted to swim with Mookie and Mavis, and Taako had released him with a head pat and a promise to let Lup help when she got back from “exploring the beach” with Barry. 

It was supposed to be easy, but the fucking blueberries looked _wrong_. They seemed too small to be blueberries, they looked more like… like…

 

 

“Taako?” Lup’s voice resonated in the quiet space as she approached her twin, hesitating at his tense posture. 

“They’re blueberries,” he said without turning around. 

“Yep, they sure are.” She took a step closer. 

“I picked them this morning.” His hands trembled. The blueberry guts were now a proper puddle on the tile, but Taako seemed oblivious. She took another step towards him. 

The silence stretched for several seconds, as Lup waited for him to explain further. After a full thirty seconds had passed, she laid a hand on her brother’s shoulder. 

He practically leapt out of her grasp, knocking the bowl onto the floor. Shattered glass flew across the room, and Lup hissed as a bit grazed her calf. Outside, the sounds of laughter abruptly ceased, and Lup heard feet bounding up the stairs moments later. 

On the opposite side of the kitchen from her, tucked into a corner, Taako had a white-knuckled grip on the counter. He had smeared blueberry all along the way, and his eyes were wide. 

Magnus slammed his way into the kitchen, followed by Barry, and finally Merle. Through the open door, Lup could see Angus peering in, an arm draped around Mookie’s shoulder. 

“What happened?” Magnus demanded, looking from Taako to Lup with a furrowed brow. 

“I- I don’t know. He said something about blueberries, and when I tried to hug him he flipped out.” She motioned at her calf and the shattered bowl. “Fuckin bowl fell off the counter and got glass everywhere.” Barry startled at the blood and rushed to Lup, fumbling his way across the kitchen as best he could with bare feet. 

“Taako, are you ok?” Merle began to move towards the elf, hand cautiously outstretched, and a switch flipped in the wizard's eyes. 

“Sorry sis, just got distracted and didn’t hear you come in.” His voice was strained and too loud, cracking at the edges. “Taako’s not used to cooking with shitty glassware. I’ll go transfigure a new bowl that’s not so fucking terrible.” Lup was looking at her brother with shock, and Barry had frozen in his concerned ministrations. 

“Yeah, that’s not gonna cut it bro. What’s up with you?”

“Nothing my dude. Taako’s good. Someone wanna take care of the glass for cha boy?” He headed shakily for the door, shoving past Merle and Magnus before running smack into Lup. 

“You’re not going anywhere until you explain what the hell that was,” she snapped, barring his path. Barry touched her arm warningly, but she was already barreling forward. “You’re saying weird shit about blueberries, you zone out all the time, and you flinched away from _me_.” Her voice broke at the last bit. 

“Lulu, I’m _fine_. Just fuckin drop it ok?” 

“No, not okay. Something’s wrong with you and I don’t get why you won’t tell me.”

“There’s nothing to tell-“

“Bull _shit_. Spill it.” 

“Lup, maybe give him a minute,” Barry interjected. 

“No. He’s had six fucking months to decide to tell me what the fuck happened that has him like this, he’s clearly not going to unless I force him.” 

“Wow, thanks for the concern sis,” snapped Taako. “Glad you’re worried about me and not just hoping for a what’s new with Taako segment.” 

“When did you stop wanting to tell me things?” 

“I don’t know, maybe when you fucking left?” Lup’s arm dropped. “Or I don’t know, maybe it was when Lucy fucking took our entire life from me? Or, oh, maybe it was when I spent six years thinking I’d killed 40 fucking people and then found out my supposed best friend did it? Take your fuckin pick.” He stormed past Lup and Barry, roughly shouldering her now slack arm on his way out the door. 

Merle was the first to break the silence. “Lup, was he cooking something when you came in?” 

“He was supposed to be making blueberry scones, sirs,” Angus called from outside the door. 

“Shit,” said Merle, looking to Magnus. “What do blueberries look like?” 

“Elderberries, _fuck_ ” said Magnus. “I should go after him.”

“Nah, it should be me,” said Merle. “I know it got lost in the shuffle there, but I was asking Taako if he was alright cause he got a pretty nasty cut from that shattered bowl. I’ll go heal it and see what else I can do.” Pulling a few small herb jars off the counter and tucking them in a bag, Merle headed towards the front door. He stopped next to Lup for a moment, silently setting a hand on her arm. He looked at Barry and raised his eyebrows, who nodded. 

“I’ve got her cut all taken care of here. Thanks Merle.” 

  

**_Taako_ **

 

Fucking Lup. He loved his sister, but Lup didn’t know when to stop pushing. Taako was fine for ten whole years without her; he could take care of some Pan-damned scones without help. 

 

(except he hadn’t been fine, had he? Sazed had proven how easy a target he was)

 

Taako was so absorbed in cursing himself and his sister and everyone else he could think of that he almost ran directly into a tall figure which had stopped at the end of the path to Merle’s home. Looking up, Taako saw tight coils of snow white hair bound in a complicated braid, resting above a dark and weathered face. Lucretia had a large salad bowl in one arm, her staff in the other, and she was staring with pure fear at Taako. 

“Oh for fuck’s sake, of fucking course you’re out here!” Lucretia flinched away from his shout. 

“I’m sorry, I can just go-“ she stammered (and how long had it been since he’d heard Lucy stammer? Cycle 4?). 

“No, you might as fuckin well go in. Taako’s out.” He threw his hands up in exasperation and began barreling off the path and down towards the beach. 

“Taako, wait!” 

“What the fuck do you want?” He snapped, whirling around. “Wanna take more memories from me? Ooo, wanna erase Kravitz this time? My favorite Aunt? The word dandelion? I bet that would be fun.” Lucretia looked stricken. “How about my magic? Or cooking? What could you possibly want from me that you haven’t already taken?” 

For a moment, it looked like Lucretia wasn’t going to respond. As Taako started to turn around, she muttered, “I was just going to say you’re bleeding. I didn’t know if you needed help.” 

Taako looked down, finally noticing the stream of blood running down his left leg and dripping from his forearm. “Wow, that glass got some _air,_ ” he muttered. 

“What?” Lucretia leaned forward. 

“Thanks for pointing it out, babe, but I don’t need any more fucking help from _you_.” 

 

**_Lup_ **

 

Lup sucked in a sharp breath, bracing herself against Barry’s shoulder. “Sorry sweetie, I’ve almost got the last of the glass out.” Barry had a sad smile on his face as he looked up at his wife. She hummed and looked away, staring at the blueberry mush on the floor. 

“Magnus, what happened to him?” she asked into the silence. He shared a nervous look with Angus and turned back to Lup. “He said he thought he’d killed people?” 

“Listen, I don’t know if it’s my place-“ Lup moved to cut him off, before both of them were silenced by the sudden arrival of Lucretia. Her eyes were red, and the salad bowl beneath her arm visibly shook. 

“Luce, what happened?” asked Magnus, charging forward toward her. 

“Nothing, I’m alright Magnus,” she responded shakily. “Is Taako okay? He was bleeding when I passed him, and Merle was so focused on following him I think he missed me completely.” 

“You know what Luce? No, he’s not, and no one will fucking tell me what’s going on.” Lup’s eyes sparked lich-like just slightly, and settled on Lucretia. 

“Magnus, I…” Lucretia trailed off, looking to the fighter for guidance. 

“He was making scones and we think the blueberries reminded him of Glamour Springs,” he said grimly. 

“What the _fuck_ is a Glamour Springs?” 

“Lup, babe, slow down I haven’t gotten all the glass yet-“

“No, someone is going to tell me what happened right _fucking_ now or I will light this whole fucking kitchen on fire.” She was crackling with undead energy in earnest now, hands beginning to glow. “He is my _brother_ , you will _tell me what happened_.”

At that, flames leapt off her hands and licked the floor, leaving scorch marks and a room springing into action in their wake. Angus pushed Mookie out the door, Magnus and Lucretia both leapt between her and the kids, Barry reached for Lup, and next to the remains of the mixing bowl a great astral rift opened. 

“Sorry I’m late, the Raven Queen sent a last minute bounty through…” Kravitz trailed off as he surveyed the scene before him, Lucretia still holding a shield up. Lup’s hands slowly faded back to their normal color and she looked sheepish. “Am I interrupting something?” 

“Mr. Taako had a dissociative episode, sir, and then he and Ms. Lup argued because he hasn’t yet told her about Glamour Springs and she doesn’t understand where his trauma with cooking stems from.”

“ _Ango_ ” Magnus chastised. 

“Judging by her appearance, Madame Director also had some kind of verbal altercation with Mr. Taako on her way here in which he lashed out at her. Mr. Merle is on his way to help Mr. Taako, and Ms. Lup started a small fire because no one will tell her about Sazed.” Angus looked rather pleased with himself, smiling toothily at an exasperated Magnus. 

Lucretia sighed tiredly. “Thank you, Angus.” He beamed. “I fear my presence has made things worse, but I figured I should at least drop off my salad before I departed. Seemed a shame to waste it.” She thrust the salad bowl at Magnus and turned to leave. 

“No, Lucy wait.” He grabbed her arm and looked at her pleadingly. “Please stay.”

Damn his puppy dog eyes. Lucretia plopped into a chair with a huff. 

“So…Merle’s with Taako?” asked Kravitz slowly. 

“Yes,” said Barry. 

“And you decided to redecorate the kitchen with…fire?”

“Seems like it.” Lup blushed a bit. 

“And Madame Director, you ran into Taako and he, well, Taako-ed at you until you left him alone?” 

“That would be an accurate characterization of what happened, yes.” 

 

“Oooookay. Wow, I really thought the necromantic lich-producing orgy was gonna be the toughest thing I had to deal with tonight.”

**Author's Note:**

> Wrapping up this little tableau is killing me, and I figured posting this would get my ass in gear to keep going. 
> 
> Kravitz being eternally done with the gang's shenanigans is my very favorite thing. 
> 
> Sorry not sorry? Yell at me in the comments! I'm thirsty for that good good feedback.


End file.
